(Chadron)-Students at ChadronHigh School recently got some hands-on experience with hearts. According to CHS Principal Jerry Mack on his blog site, the activity was part of the learning process of Mr. Bradley’s Anatomy and Physiology class, who have been studying the cardiovascular system.

On Wednesday, March 13, the class was given the opportunity to study the heart first hand. The students were split into small groups and each group was given their own pig heart to dissect. The pig heart was used because of its close similarities to the human heart in structure, size, and function. Mack said the main objective behind the dissection was to educate each student on the circulation of blood through the heart to the lungs and back out to the rest of the body while identifying each major chamber, valve, and vessel in the process.

In the blog, Mack goes into detail about the process the students followed during their exercise. He said although the book does a fine job of outlining and displaying the heart, learning hands on through a dissection aids the visual part of the learning process. Being able to study a real heart in the classroom was the perfect way to further each students understanding of the cardiovascular system.